June 4, 2009
Ukraine lowers 2009 grain harvest forecast to 42 million to 43 million tonnes
Ukraine is likely to harvest 42-43 million tonnes of grain this year, and not 48 million tonnes as was forecast earlier, the agriculture minister Yury Melnik said in Kiev Wednesday (June 3), as quoted by the agriculture ministry's press service.
The reason for the lower estimate is the inclement weather, which has slowed down the spring planting campaign this year.
Commenting on the forecast of Ukraine's grain harvest this year by US Embassy in Ukraine of 38.7 million tonnes, Melnik said international grain analysts were likely to make mistakes.
He said USDA forecast Ukraine's grain harvest in 2008 at 39 million tonnes, whereas in actual fact the harvest was 53.3 million tonnes.
